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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23761774">a place in your heart or the taste of acid on your tongue when you speak their name</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirabilis/pseuds/mirabilis'>mirabilis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Miscommunication, Post-Canon, author's oral fixation where atsumu's sucks at communication: the saga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:40:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,973</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23761774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirabilis/pseuds/mirabilis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Have you ever thought about getting married?”</p><p>According to Newton’s third law of motion, for every reaction there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Now Atsumu is no scientist, but he has evidence to prove that this statement is utter bullshit. According to the relative laws of nature, Shouyou will react, he doesn’t need to bet on his first-born son to guarantee that fact.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>111</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a place in your heart or the taste of acid on your tongue when you speak their name</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello! welcome back, I have pulled this from my front buttcrack to write this sequel to 'nothing gold can stay' I recommend you read the prequel but i suppose it can be read as standalone. </p><p>warnings: excessive use of science... sorry Issac Newton..my bro</p><p>without further due pls enjoy</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Have you ever thought about getting married?”</p><p>According to Newton’s third law of motion, for every reaction there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Now Atsumu is no scientist, but he has evidence to prove that this statement is utter bullshit. According to the relative laws of nature, Shouyou will react, he doesn’t need to bet on his first-born son to guarantee that fact. Shouyou lets go of the spoon, his broccoli cheddar tortellini chicken soup rivets against the table. So far their dinner was going exceptionally pleasant, no mention of unspeakable weight that only can be defined as the cottage cheese that curdles in his stomach. That wasn’t weight, it was probably gas due to his lactose intolerance. </p><p>Shouyou’s eyes spasm like he’s bitten into natto, the whole world has been informed of his raw hatred towards natto now. The crunchy, unsmooth taste sticks to the bottom of your mouth. You will attempt to lick it off with the contracting muscles of your tongue. You will fail. Natto will stick it’s fists in the air and boast in triumph about the victory over Shouyou’s mouth. </p><p>Atsumu notices everything about him, how his cheeks deflate in their elevation of ecstasy. Shouyou’s shoulders do not slump, now that he has gravely injured and defeated the sun he believes his shoulders are the mountains that he will travel through in order to reach his ultimate destination. It wasn’t Atsumu, he will soon learn to discover. But don’t worry, assiduity will save you. </p><p>But not even natto could save him from the current inescapable situation he's wrapped him into.  Shouyou is repulsed. He thinks. Atsumu’s brain tends to deflagrate in overdrive due to the fervent pondering his mind compasses. You make your second mistake, the first was feeding Shouyou natto. Mistakes tease like a feather tickling your nose, sneezing suddenly becomes hypnotic and before you know it, make all the mistakes, you will sneeze. You seize mistakes and wring its neck, too bad for you it comes back haunting you in your sleep. </p><p>Shouyou is silent. It’s new, not an old unwelcoming demeanor that starves Atsumu to death. Both of their broccoli cheddar tortellini chicken soup grows untouched and cold. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>No one brings up dinner again. Atsumu is worried that even the slip of the tongue will unleash Pandora's box of mayhem in their apartment. Atsumu will prosper, throttle Pandora’s box at their apartment doorstep and throw it in the trash. You will hide the evidence of the near destruction of the planet, you will hide it and no will one will dig up the capsule you’ve thrown away. Shouyou will not search, he only builds his sand boat to voyage on the road not taken. </p><p>Atsumu will buy pizza. It will sit on their kitchen counter, growing cold for two hours before Shouyou returns. There is no tranquility in catastrophic silence. They will sit together, but not together: Atsumu will sit across the island instead of being sidled up to his right side. Shouyou will keep his earbuds inside his ears and eat two slices instead of three. Catastrophe will choose a single slice of cheese pizza from the boxes and no one will notice. Atsumu will eat in reticence, Issac Newton will sit under a tree and let an apple hit his head, he will tell the world of gravity and no one will listen. </p><p>Gravity will be brought into this world and become shunned from society, but when the world becomes catastrophic, catastrophe will sit in it’s fiery, burning throne. Atsumu finishes, Shouyou stays, he would be lying if he told you that everything is alright. But that’s why they do, instead of dealing with their conflicts and fights like reasonable adults they stray away from confrontation. Shouyou decides not to stay and leaves for bed first. </p><p>He will throw away the remaining slice of pizza into the trash along with the Pandora box and you will forget. Forgetting is only second nature for you after all. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“By the way, the washing machine is broken.” Shouyou announces a week later. They’re sitting on their four-squared patio from the fifteenth floor, sipping on lemonade. Shouyou’s face scrunches up, lip puckering out as his cup sweats, dribbling down his pinky finger. </p><p>Atsumu takes a long sip, before setting his drink down on the wooden coasters Sakusa prompts that they buy. Your drink is going to fucking sweat and germs will spread dipshit. Buy some damn coasters. Okay, fuck you too. “Did ya break it, you only had one job Shouyou,” Atsumu laughs, not dripping in bitterness but the devil hands him a dollar bill and congratulates him. </p><p>Shouyou chuckles, they are the same, it’s already been established that his voice continues to bring Atsumu down to his knees, out of breath and his lungs on fire. “Bold of you to assume it was me who broke it,” then. Silence. </p><p>“Atsumu?” </p><p>“Yeah?” </p><p>A plane flies across their balcony, gravity cracks and the airplane crashes. “You have food stuck in your teeth.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>They call the repairman. He bangs on their door at 8 am in the morning. Atsumu answers and Bokuto storms inside. The repairman doesn’t seem to have his tools. And Atsumu throws him out. </p><p>Just kidding. Bokuto’s already made a beeline for their kitchen. “I thought I called a repairman, not a fun-sized hundred-fifty pound sack of beef.” Bokuto throws two bowls of cereal on the counter. </p><p>He points an accusing finger at Atsumu, munching on cheerios while spewing out said cheerio bits. “For the record, I’ll have you know that I’m actually hundred forty-five pounds.” You're so fucking gross Bokuto. </p><p>“Stop canoodling with my cereal and fucking fix my washing machine.” Atsumu grabs the spoon from his hands and pushes him in the general direction of his closest. “They didn’t appoint you as a resident tenant for nothing. But I’m starting to see how useless you are.” </p><p>Then Shouyou comes out from the bedroom. Looking fresh and all blingy from the open curtains that sunlight courteously requests to be let free. He leans against the door frame before entering the kitchen. “Good morning Bokuto-san, are you here to fix the washing machine?” he migrates to the kitchen, giving Bokuto the bowl of cheerios. His eyes swallow the whole planet and Atsumu could throw some tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni on his eyes and call it a pizza. Pizza for breakfast sounds good right now. </p><p>Realizing that Bokuto is a lost cause, he rummages through his fridge and discovers three days old sausage pizza. He eats the cold pizza. Atsumu absorbs the loudness of Bokuto as he blabs about-- that’s right, you don’t care. The only person in the room that your attention doesn’t faze towards is Shouyou, but he’s the least approachable in the room. You will prevail, and come to the conclusion that pizza tastes better cold. </p><p>Bokuto will continue to barge into your apartment, the washing machine will continue to stay broken. Then Shouyou will offer you a tray of soggy french fries from the frozen aisle at your local supermarket. You will take one, dig it into mustard(Shouyou buries his fry into ketchup, oh different they once were and still are), you will take a bite. It will taste like a soggy, dirty washcloth but you will prevail. You kiss him, he will taste like ketchup. You will wrinkle your nose, proad the tray from his hands and gently lay it on the floor and  kiss the ketchup-tasting boy in front of you. You will kiss him in your laundry room and no one will stop you. Only catastrophe can watch as you push him to the floor and kiss him until you can taste the grapefruit chapstick on Shouyou’s lips. </p><p>You prevail, and assiduity will save you. And then it doesn’t. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The third mistake is the fight. It starts when Atsumu pops his shoulder out of the socket in the middle of the game. He doesn’t tell anyone, until Shouyou finds him frantically cradling his arm in their bathroom while wrapping his arm to avoid any further damage. He gets rushed to the emergency room, reporters surround the hospital, but there’s no use. He gets sent home in a sling and makes a promise to his physical therapist to not step inside the court for two weeks.  </p><p>Shouyou drives them home. They get inside and he throws the keys onto the dining table. Words get tossed around like a hot potato fresh from the oven, used carelessly and without thought. Except Atsumu is constantly in a state of cogitation and every single word that spews from Shouyou’s mouth means something. They fight like a normal couple. The fight doesn’t end in a kiss. As much as he’d like to sucker punch-launch himself onto Shouyou’s lips. It won’t happen. Instead, Shouyou sleeps on the couch for the first time, and Atsumu sleeps alone. Don’t ya worry, catastrophe will whisper the lullaby into your ear, yer bound to make more mistakes. </p><p>I must be going crazy, and he flips the light off. You’re not wrong </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Are ya still crushin’ over what’s his face, Hinata?” Osamu asks him wiggling his shot glass at the entirety of the concept. Atsumu snorts. Osamu socks him in the shoulder, but because he’s only a bit tipsy the punch turns sluggish. </p><p>Atsumu calls the nearest bartender to bring him vodka. “Do ya not pay attention to my instagram? Yes, we've been dating ‘Samu.” </p><p>Osamu rests his hand on the bar counter, the dark bar lights hanging above them dampen the dark circles below his eyes, boredom turns to dust and he swings his rotating bar stool that he seems to be having too much fun with. “So where’d ya screw up this time?” Atsumu and his jaw drops and gawks at the air for a minute. “Come’on ‘Tsumu, yer sorry ass never calls me unless ya invite me to yer personal pity parties with yer miserable love life.'' The bartender brings him a shot glass and a bottle of vodka. He does not touch it. </p><p>“I fuckin’ depsise you ‘Samu.” </p><p>Osamu’s lips twitch and mediocre smile, Atsumu labels it ‘mediocre’ because he stole the look from him. “Be a good brother and buy me another round of drinks.” he orders another round of drinks. Discreetly under the table he tries to convince the bartender to smuggle poison into the drinks but the bartender just says tough love and almost calls the police on him. </p><p>Osamu respectfully swipes the nearest glass and begins to drink, “I asked Shouyou if he wanted to get married.” Osamu chokes. </p><p>Vodka spews from his mouth and dribbles down the edges of his lips and quickly wipes away the mess. “Not to me, I’m not that stupid.” he adds and Osamu curls his lips as if that Atsumu hoped the statement tucked him in at night and provided any comfort. </p><p>“Yer literally the biggest dumbass, I think yer past the ‘stupid’ stage.” stirring his finger in the half empty his gaze grazes Atsumu in the smallest hint of curiosity. “How’d he take it?” </p><p>Atsumu thinks of natto and Shouyou’s taken back expression and replies, “pretty well I think.”</p><p>“Well, do ya want to get married?” Osamu pops the big question and Atsumu this time does hold his breath. </p><p>You will not respond to Osamu. You will stay quiet and it will cause you to starve to death. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>He gets home late. Around three in the morning rolls around when he realizes he left his key on the living room table. Shit. He knocks on the door, his head is fucking killing him from the five shots he downed, luckily Osamu with his disturbing high alcohol tolerance ordered him an Uber. When he gains zero response, he knocks again, twice as loud. Heavy, dragging footsteps force itself to the door and it gently opens. Shouyou’s tasseled microbilion bits of tangerine curls brush against the frame of the door. </p><p>“Shouyou, sorry I’m late.” </p><p>Shouyou narrows his eye, but fails because sleep catches him in it’s arms and his eyelids flutter and Atsumu’s heart takes a twisted turn. “It’s three in the morning.” then peers at Atsumu’s empty hands. “Where are your keys?”</p><p>“Inside, I left them behind, and don’t ya worry I’m not drunk.” Shouyou shifts, and Atsumu passes him, yawning and throwing his jacket lazily across the sofa. </p><p>According to Newton’s third law of motion, Shouyou will react, Shouyou is supposed to react. “Are you going to punch me?” Atsumu asks. Shouyou shakes his head and grabs his hand. </p><p>“No, I’m not.” It's three in the morning when Shouyou kisses chastely in the dark and leads him to their bedroom. Atsumu lets himself be dragged, and he shuts the door behind him with his foot. </p><p>You continue to starve to death, gasping in the language that seeps through his lungs. You must remember to prevail. But then in the ache in your shoulder holds you back. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Then you remember. And remembrance does not embrace you. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“I thought you were getting better.” </p><p>“I am.” </p><p>Shouyou furiously shakes the letter in one hand. “Then why is there a letter addressed to you requesting you come back to the doctor for a possible tear in your shoulder?” </p><p>Dammit, he could’ve sworn he threw that away. “My physical therapist is just takin' a precaution, it's nothing too deep.” </p><p>Shouyou reacts. He leaves the apartment. You crumble the floating letter that sits in your palm. You will stay behind and clean up the mess you’ve made. Your fourth mistake is letting Shouyou leave but the damage has already been made. To prevail is to allow catastrophe to control your body. </p><p>Can salvation carry you away? Salvation finds you along the path you lose yourself on, and tells you even Salvation will not save you. </p><p>But perhaps Shouyou can. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Tomorrow, who knows what catastrophe will bring you in it’s blood-soaked palms of sorrow. Sorrow will gently lead you to tomorrow, and tomorrow will gladly open its arms to take you in. Then Atsumu will introduce Shouyou to his mother, Osamu will get married, Sakusa will stop being a germaphobe and Shouyou will stop being Shouyou. Except you know that strands of hope are what hang you lose and force you to prevail. </p><p>You will come to the conclusion that the world revolves around Shouyou. You will not tell Issac Newton, because if you do then he’ll tell the world and create the fourth law of motion: It states that every point mass attracts every other point mass by a force acting along the line intersecting both points. You will tell him fuck off, but you’re aware, too aware of the circumstances. It will not cause you pain because you met pain too many times to numerate from the top of your head. What will you do instead? </p><p>For now the only thing you <em> can </em>do is prevail. And wait. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>According to no fuckin’ scientist but Atsumu Miya himself, Shouyou returns. He returns the next night just as he imagined. Atsumu is not giddy, he remains calm. But god, the crippling feel of relief washes his tongue and he can finally speak. But he won’t, silence strips him bare and threatens to steal his first-born son. Well jokes on you, he isn’t even married. Ouch. </p><p>The left side of the bed dips, and a knee into the mattress and the side beside him weighs heavy. Light, teetering breath prances along his neck and Atsumu does not turn. You clinch your butt-cheeks and suck up the troublesome ache from your shoulder. If you're lucky then perseverance will gently lay your shoulder to rest and save you thousand-dollars worth of medical bills. But you have never been very lucky have you? </p><p>The covers lift up, releasing a harsh gust of air and Atsumu shivers slightly. Shouyou. You will not hold your breath, you will allow yourself to breathe. No words left unspoken, yet communication snipes the tip of your tongue, is there you can do? Anything to say to fix the situation. </p><p>“I do want to get married.” hushed, smashed together words pressed against the pillow and Atsumu’s heart cracks. But in the good way that causes your heart to break into pieces and the boy sleeping in front of you tenderly mends each piece together. </p><p>Okay.</p><p>He cannot bring himself to whisper the words of reassurance and solitude but it’s the only silent communication they share. But it’s not needed because the bridge has already been built and you take one step to Shouyou’s outstretched hand. You have found perseverance, it’s been here right in front of you the whole time. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>According to Newton’s law of motion, Shouyou will react, it’s been written in the imaginary book of rules. Rules and boundaries hold them together. Atsumu’s shoulder still continues to ache, he doesn’t tell Shouyou about the surgery. But that is another mistake to release in the light another day. Shouyou will react, you may not. Some days you will, other days you will shelter yourself in the darkness. And then Shouyou will battle the fierce dragon and slice open his belly of ghastly darkness, he pulls Atsumu out. You will prevail, the slain dragon has fallen. Salvation will slowly begin to unravel itself and open its doors for you. </p><p>And what of tomorrow and the other days to come? Will salvation let you in? </p><p>And what of today, when your shoulder burns through your shirt and you collapse out of exasperation and take a nosedive off of the tenth floor of your balcony apartment, you will jump and salvation will be there to save you. You're wrong, that's your fifth mistake. </p><p>For now, salvation forgets. And so will you and won't be there to save you. Then what will you do?</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello you have reached the end and with that I had a few words of wisdom, or whatevaaaa. firstly *waves at nothing gold can stay readers* welcome back.... i hope this fic didn't dissapoint. Right after I finished 'nothing gold can stay' I had already been planning this sequel.. which was supposed to be longer but dw I shall be writing the final sequel to this series which'll be much longer. I just really wanted to write about Atsumu's terrible trait of communication... i hope i succeeded. if i did pls lmk and I will venmo u an exotic peacock....see references of atsumu's itty bitty injury.. can u tell how much i wanna write an atsumu-centric injury fic :)</p><p>with that, thank you for reading this mess which I hope makes somewhat of sense and if you did like this and then be shy to tell me and drop a comment! i love hearing all of yer kind words ;) feel free to drop a kudos/bookmark or suscribe so you'll be notified when the next rolls around...</p><p>also! my main acc if ya wanna follow for more atsuhina shenanigans on my <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/sarahartzzz">twitter</a>  or follow my writing acc for more updates <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/atsuhinass__">Twitter</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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